A discharge device called a dispenser is frequently used to form a predetermined pattern of a liquid material in manufacturing of electronic devices. The dispenser is widely used to manufacture a variety of devices ranging from a large-sized type to a small-sized type. For example, the dispenser is used in a step of applying a phosphor or an adhesive in a linear form on flat display panels, which are represented by a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, and a plasma display panel (PDP), and a step of applying an adhesive to fix a cover of a smartphone in a liner form along an outer periphery of the cover.
Application work using the dispenser is performed by discharging the liquid material from a nozzle while the nozzle and a worktable are moved relative to each other in accordance with an application pattern. In the case of drawing a line in accordance with the application pattern having a corner, it is known that a problem occurs with variations in a width of the drawn line due to reduction of a relative moving speed of the nozzle in the corner.
Among dispensers of various discharge types, one example is an air type dispenser in which air supplied from a compressed air source is applied to a liquid material in a reservoir, whereupon the liquid material is discharged through a nozzle in communication with the reservoir.
As the air type dispenser aiming to suppress deformation of the pattern in the corner in the case of the drawing application, Patent Document 1, for example, discloses an applicator that is used in an application method of drawing a rectangular pattern on a substrate, and that is able to suppress generation of vibration in a corner and to apply a paste in a proper amount by reducing a relative speed between a nozzle and a substrate at a start point of the corner and lowering discharge pressure of the paste at the same time, and then, after passing the corner, by increasing the relative speed between the nozzle and the substrate and raising the discharge pressure of the paste at the same time before reaching an end point of the corner. The above-mentioned control is executed in accordance with pattern data stored in a RAM of a microcomputer, and the start and end positions of the corner are determined with measurement using a linear scale.
Programming, described below, is required to realize a desired application for drawing a line with an application device that includes a discharge device, a worktable, and a relative-moving robot (XYZ-direction moving device) for moving the discharge device and the worktable relative to each other.
First, programming for relative movement commands to relatively move the relative-moving robot in accordance with the application pattern is required. Next, programming for discharge an amount control commands to control discharge amounts at individual application positions on the application pattern is required. The discharge amount control commands are each, for example, a command of lowering air pressure for the discharge, a command of shortening a distance between an annular valve seat in communication with a discharge port and a valve member, or a command of reducing a rotation speed of a screw for giving a propulsion force. In order to change the discharge amount at XY-coordinates in a place where the relative moving speed is changed, such as the corner, it is further required to transmit the discharge amount control command in conjunction with the relative movement command.
For example, Patent Document 2 states, in paragraphs [0085] to [0093], that an automatic application process is executed by programming operations to move a robot arm along an application pattern, programming start and end timings of paint application by a servo gun and so on, recording programming data in a PLC, and reproducing the recorded data.
The program for relative movement is programmed on a character base using letters, numeral, symbols, etc. in some cases, or it is automatically generated by drawing a figure with an applied CAD program in other cases.
The applicant proposes, in Patent Document 3, a program comprising the steps of displaying a text input screen, displaying a figure input screen, outputting in real time movement information of a working device, which has been input through the text input screen, on the figure input screen as information representing a path on a two-dimensional plane and a height of the path, outputting in real time movement information of the working device, which has been input through the figure input screen, on the text input screen on a character base, displaying a 3D display screen that outputs movement information of the working device as a path in a three-dimensional space on the basis of the movement information of the working device, which has been input through the text input screen and/or the figure input screen, and automatically generating an input (relative) movement program for the working device.